2005-06-25 Mahyar Monshipour w rtd 9 Julio Zarate, The Futuroscope, Poitiers, France - WBA. Referee: Guillermo Perez. Refusing to give ground to the champion, Zarate (121¼) made it clear from the start that he had come to win and in the fourth round a solid left hook followed by a heavy right put Monshipour (121¼) down. Having been shocked into action, from thereon Monshipour began to rip in two-fisted blows to head and body that dramatically sapped Zarate’s energy and saw him deducted two points, in the seventh and eighth, for head butts. At the end of the eighth, a cracking right uppercut seemed to drain Zarate of what little he had left, but it was still a surprise when he refused to come out for the ninth, staying on his stool after the bell had rung. On 15 October, Celestino Caballero outpointed Yober Ortega over 12 rounds at the Figali Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama to win the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title. Making his first defence, Caballero retained his ‘interim’ honours when Roberto Bonilla retired at the end of the seventh round on 4 February 2006 at the Figali Convention Centre, prior to getting a crack at the main title in October 2006.